In a network setting, a user accesses other computer networks through various network components. In particular, mobile computer users may want to access the Internet from their room in a hotel, an office building, or an airport concourse. As part of a solution to provide users with broadband services, a Building Broadband Service Manager (BBSM) may be deployed in a building for plug-and-play access, authentication, and billing.
Such BBSM requires a user to authenticate when activating a session with the user computer connected to a port. The port may for example be an ethernet jack, a wireless access point, or a cable modem. In the case of a wireless access point, a user may activate a session with an access code policy using wireless LAN equipment—the wireless access point. The BBSM associates a port with the session. When the user moves from a first access point to a second access point, the link quality or the signal strength as seen by the first access point decreases as the user moves away from the first access point. The BBSM eventually deactivates the user's session as the end user disassociates from the access point. When the user moves closer to the second access point, the link quality as seen by the second access point increases, and the BBSM re-associates the end user with a new port. The user must re-authenticate to gain access to the Internet.
FIG. 1 illustrates a flow diagram of a software of a BBSM as described above. In block 102, the BBSM scans for active sessions. If the BBSM finds an active session, the BBSM queries the network element for that active session in block 104 and detects whether the session is still active in block 106. BBSM deactivates the session in block 108 if the network element does not find the user associated with the port. Otherwise, the BBSM advances to the next active session in block 110.
A need therefore exists for a method and device that seamlessly maintains the user's session as the user moves from one port to another and does not require the end user to re-authenticate. A primary purpose of the present invention is to solve these needs and provide further, related advantages.